Charles spiro



(No Model.) 1 2 sheets-sheet 1.

G. SPIRO. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 543,111. Patented July 23, 1896.

g6 w (Jami/2&9 5 3570.

(No Model.)

Elm 543,111.-

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G.SPI.RO. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented July 23, 1895..

G/Zarles Spiro.

ammo a:

TATES UNITED CHARLES SPIRO, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,1 11, dated July23, 1895.

Application filed January 6, 1894. Serial No. 495,999. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, CHARLES SPIRO, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

- This invention relates to an improvement in type-writing machines; andit has for its principal object the provision of means for varying thefeed of the paper-carrier so as to cause impressions to be made upon thepaper at variously-separated points in a line instantly incontradistinction to the determination of the points in a line at whichimpressions shall be made by a repeated depression of the usual spacebar or key of the machine.

In printing upon a type-writer tabular matter and matter in columns,such as statements of account, the time required to operate the spacebar or key successively to bring the paper so as to make the impressionin one of a series of columns or in more than one is a material matterand the strict attention required of an operator to print this class ofwork is exacting and fatiguing.

By my invention the work is simplified to a great degree, is expedited,and accuracy is the more easily attainable than Without the saidinvention.

Other objects and advantages of the'invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be. specifically defined by theappended claims. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of such of the principal parts of atype-writing ma chine with my improvement applied thereto as arenecessary for a clear understanding of said improvement. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the key-lever and its connections coupled with asubstantially central vertical transverse section of the remaining partsappearing in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sample of the work which my inventionis intended to perform. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective of theseparate devices comprised in my improvement, each being shown in itsrelative position with the others. Fig. 5 is a modification of one ofthe parts of the improvement.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

.A is the carriage, which is of usual construction and is provided witha projection 13 on vers the ordinary step-by-step movement of thecarriage is produced in the usual manner.

From the bed or table D of the machine there projects upwardly a bearingE, in which is pivoted a lever F, one end of which passes beneath thepin O'of the pawl. The opposite endof the lever F extends toward theside of the machine and is connected by a link F to a column-printingkey-leverG, having a key G occurring at any convenient point in thekeyboard of the machineas, for example, at the-right-hand side thereof.The key-bar G is pivoted on a rod G2 and is connected by a spring G witha fixed part of the machine.

From the bed of the machine a riser H is formed and one end of a specialrack-bar I is pivotally mounted therein, while the opposite end of saidbar is'pivotally mounted in a similar riser H, which in this instance isan extension of the riser B in'which the carriage guide-rod B ismounted. The special rack-bar I may be provided with a series of teethI, either formed integrally therewith at desired distances from eachother, or the teeth- I' may be removable and adjustable upon or alongthe bar by any desirable construction.

different from thatof the path of the projection B on the carriage-lugA, so that it will not interfere with the ordinary step-bystep movementof the carriage unless when otherwise intentionally disposed. The planeof the rack-bar may either be below or above that of the projection B.In the present instance it is held normally above said projection bymeans of alever J pivoted at one end to a fixed part J of the bed of themachine, while its opposite end comes in contact with the specialrack-bar in such a manner as to lift the same above the plane of theprojection B. This bar-lifting lever is connected with the key-bar G insuch a manner and by the link J that the free end of the lever J ismaintained in an elevated position by reason of the normal position ofthe key-bar. The link J forms a sufficient rigid connection between thekey-bar and lever to permit of the latter being normally held in itsuppermost position by the normal position of the keylever assisted bythe spring shown in Fig. 4, attached to the key-lever near its pivot andof usual construction and operation. The special rack-bar I is held inits elevated position by the engagement of the free end of the upturnedportion of the lever J with the pin J While the bar J may impingedirectly against the under surface of the special rackbar, I haveinstead thereof provided the latter with a pin J projecting from theedge of the special bar to serve as the connection therewith of thelever J. A coiled spring J serves as a yielding connection between thelever J and the special bar I. The purpose of this yielding connectionis to permit a tooth of the bar to come into contact with and directlyupon the lug or projection B on the lug A without interferingwith theproper operation of the special bar, as whenever such contact occurs thenext depression of the key or of the space-bar of the machine whichreleases the dog from the ordinary carriage'feed rack moves the carriageand the projection B beyond the tooth of the special bar, so that thepurpose of the invention is not evaded.

It is apparent that if the connection of the bar J with the specialrack-bar I were nonyielding-as, for example, by a link-then when thespecial rack-barI, or rather a tooth thereof, isbrought to bear upon thetop of the lug or projection B on the lug A'of the carriage the carriagewould be held against movement, first, by the pressure of the tooth onthe projection, and, second, because the key, whether spacing or letterkey, could not be sufficiently depressed to relieve or remove thefeed-dog from the ordinary feed-rack of the carriage. This action of theparts is hereinafter further explained.

To summarize the operation of the'invention reference is made to Fig. 3,where it will be noticed that the writing on each line is practicallycontinuous through the first two columns, while the first character inthe third column would be imprinted in its proper place when theprojection B is in contact with the first tooth from the side of themachine shown in Fig. 1 of the special rack-bar. There being no entriesin the sixth and seventh, tenth and eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth, andsixteenth columns,the remaining teeth of the special bar are located sothat the carriage may be continuously moved instead of step by step,

so as to carry the next required impression over these unoccupiedcolumns and into those which are to be occupied by printed characters.In this jumping of the carriage the ordinary step-bystep feeding devicesare temporarily thrown out of use, and this by the same means whichtemporarily brings in the special rack-bar for use. It will be notedthat when the key G is depressed the lever F is depressed at its outerend simultaneously with the depression of the lever J, and this latterlever, through the medium of the yielding connection J, brings thespecialbar into the plane of the projection l3 on the carriage; Thedepression of the key being continued, the pawl C is subsequently thrownout of mesh with the rack-bar G which frees the carriage. Under theinfluence of the usual carriagefeeding motor or spring the carriagemoves until the next tooth of the special rack-bar stops it by contactwith the projection B on the carriage. Now the key G is released frompressure and its lever rises to its normal position, and in doing sopermits the pawl C to again mesh with the carriage rack-bar for ordinarystep-by-step carriage-feeding, and at the same time the special rack-baris lifted out of the plane of the projection B and ordinary printingcontinues until the work requires another jump by the carriage. It willbe seen that a single depression of one key accomplishes what wouldrequire a multiplicity of depressions of a spacing bar or key toaccomplish, and furthermore no watchfulness is required to determine atWhat point in the movement of the carriage to cease depressing aspacing-key, and, finally, a perfect alignment of letters or numeralsvertically in the column is assured, thus facilitating the computationof totals.

I believe I am the first to produce a device for obviating the necessityof a continuous operation of the ordinary spacing devices of atype-writing machine to produce a blank space of greater length thanrequired in or dinary solid printed matter, which obviates subjectingthe ordinary carriage escapement or feeding devices to the injuriousshock and wear occurring in the skip movements of the carriage, and Ihave shown one form of mechanism for accomplishing this purpose. Otherforms will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in theconstruction of machines of this class upon an examination of the formdisclosed herein, and I therefore do not limit my invention to thespecific construction of the parts which I employ to embody the same ina practical form. I have shown my invention in connection with aparticular jection independent of the rack-bar thereon,

of a special feed device embodying a pivotally mounted special rack barand means connected with the key-lever for simultaneously throwing saidspecial feed into operative connection with the paper carriage andthrowing the ordinary feed out of operative position, substantially asspecified. v

2. The combination with the paper carriage of a type writing machinehaving a lateral projection rigid with the carriage frame independent ofthe rack-bar, of a special feed device embodying a pivoted rack bar, akey-lever and intermediate connections for tilting said rack bar and forthrowing out the pawl of the ordinary feed, substantially as specifled.

3. The combination with the paper carriage I of a'type writing machinehaving a projection rigid with the carriage frame independent of therack-bar, of a special feed device embodying a pivotally mounted specialrack bar, a key-lever, interposed mechanism for depressing the rack barof the special feed and for throwing out the pawl of the ordinaryfeed,'substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a paper carriage of a type writing machinehaving a lateral projection rigid with the carriage frame independent ofthe rack-bar, of a special feed device embodying a pivotally mountedspecial rack bar having provision for varying the point of stoppage ofthe carriage by contact with said projection and intermediate devicesconnected with the key-lever for simultaneously throwing out theordinary feed and throwing into operative position the rack bar of thespecial feed, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the paper carriage of a type writing machinehaving a lateral projection rigid with the carriage frame inde pendentof the rack-bar, of a special feed dedevice embodying a pivotallymounted rack, means connected with a key-lever for throwing outthe pawlsof the ordinary feed and for yieldingly bringing said rack into the pathof the said projection by the depression of a key-lever and returning itto its normal position as the'key-lever returns to its normal position,substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the paper carriage of a type writing machine, ofa special feed device embodying a pivotally mounted special rack, akey-lever a pivoted lever connected with said key-lever for throwing thespecial rack into operative position and a pivoted lever connected tosaid key lever for throwing the step by step feed out of operation,substantially as specified.

7. The combination with the paper carriage of a type writing machine, ofa special feed device having means for varying the stoppage of thecarriage, means for bringing said spe cial device into operativeposition, simultaneously operated means for throwing the step by stepfeed out of operation and a key-lever having independent connection withboth of said means, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with the key-lever and special rack, of a liftinglever for the special rack, a pivoted part connected with the keyleverfor actuating the pawl of the step by step feed and a yieldingconnection between the lifting lever and special rack-bar, substantiallyas specified.

9. The combination with the paper carriage of a type writing machine,'ofa rearward projection on said carriage, a special feed rack barpivotally mounted to the rear of said pro jection and normally in aplane out of the path of said projection and means for actuating saidspecial rack bar to throw the same into the path of the projection tostop the carriage, substantially as specified.

10. The combination with the paper carriage of a type writing machine,of a rearward projection on said carriage, a special feed rack barpivotally mounted to the rear of said projection and normally in a planeout of the path of said projection and means pivotally connected withthe key levers for actuating said special rack bar to throw the sameinto the path of the projection to stop the carriage,- substantially asspecified.

11. lhe combination with a key lever, the paper carriage and step bystep feed mechanism, of a type writing machine, of a special feed rackbar pivotally mounted to the rear of the carriage and having forwardlyproj ecting pin and a pivotally mounted lever having one end arranged toengage said pin and between its ends connected with a key lever,substantially as specified.

12. The combination with a key lever, the paper carriage and step bystep feed mechanism of a type writing machine, of a special feed rackbar pivotally mounted to the rear of the carriage and having forwardlyprojecting pin and a pivotally mounted lever having one end arranged toengage said pin and between its .ends connected with a key lever and

